Starting of internal combustion engines



Feb.17,1942. 'l A PATTERSON- Y 2,273,448

STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO'R JAMES PA 77E/950A BY Sucy Q ma l ATTORNEY Feb, 1'7, 1942 J. AQ PATTERSON 2,273,448

STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 27; 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT I f4/W5S A. 77E-@50N o BY S div ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 17, 1942 ,UNITED STATE STARTING OF INTERNAL COMBUSTIONA ENGINES f James A. Patterson, Astoria, Long Island, N. Y.

Application May 27, 1939, Serial No. 276,095`

10 Claims.

This invention relates to starting of internal combustion engines and particularly multi-cylinder engines.`

Among the objects vof the invention isa start ing system for such engine combining an arrangementwhich supplies the cylinder or cylinders in which a piston was stopped in a firing stroke position with yan arrangement which assures that the combustible Ycharge supplied to the cylinder or cylinders with a piston somewhere on itsfiring stroke is ignited so asto explode the charge and impart to the piston a power impulse suflicient to start the engine running.

. The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be bestvunderstood from the following description of exemplications thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings whereinl Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic View of a six cylinder engine;

Figs. 2a to .2f arediagrammatic views of the positions of the engine pistons during an operating cycle;

Fig. 3A is 4a diagrammatic View of a standard type of ignition arrangement used on automotive A enginesmodiiied to exemplify the principles of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view through an ignition equipment of the type shown diagrammatically` in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View along line 5-5 of Fig. 4';

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view along line 6-6 ofFig.'4;

, Fig. 7 is adetailed side View of a portion of the I ignition equipment; Fig. 8 Vis a side elevation of an automotive engine embodying the starting equipment exemplifying onev form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a top` view of a modied form of auxiliary distributor member; and

Figs. l and 11 illustratetwo operating positions of a modif-led form of contact springconnection to the auxiliary distributor member l.

' Many efforts have been made in the past to veliminate the use of battery-operated electric cranking motors for starting multi-cylinder fourcycle engines, `such as those generally used in motor vehicles. Many proposals have been made to start such engines by supplying the cylinder ,or cylinders in which a piston was stopped while going down on its power or ring stroke with an ignitible, combustible` charge, and igniting the charges so that the explosion of thecharges shall impartto such piston or pistons a power impulse sufficient to start the engine running with its normal operating cycle. v Y' l piston issomewhere on its firing stroke is selectively supplied with an ignitible compressed combustible charge, and a longitudinally slidable valve mechanism is provided for supplying only the cylinders with the piston on its firing stroke with such combustible charge. In Brisbois Patent 1,140,331, another arrangement of this type is described. Christensen Patents 1,185,874, 1,253,466 and 1,253,669 describe engine starting arrangements in which an ignitiblev compressed combustible charge is supplied to each of the cylinders in their firing order for starting the engine. Brown Patent 2,053,321 shows an arrangement of the type described in the Reynolds Patent 899,618, with a rotary sleeve valve for selectively admitting an ignitible compressed combustible starting charge to the cylinder in which a piston was stopped on its firing stroke.

As far as I know, all prior engine starting arrangements of ythis type proved unsatisfactory for starting multi-cylinder four-cycle engines such as those generally used in automotive vehicles because of the difficulties in securing automatic selective ignition of the combustible charge delivered to the cylinder in which the piston is somewhere on its power stroke.

kIn accordance with theinvention, the diiculties heretofore encountered with such starting arrangement ars eliminated by combining any of the prior art known arrangements for delivering to the cylinders of the engine pistons which are on the downward firing stroke an ignitible combustible charge with a novel starting ignitionarrangement which enables selective and reliable ignition 4v,of the ignitible combustible starting charges inthe cylinders which have a piston somewhere on its downward firing stroke, and particularly, on the part of the firing stroke in which the ignition vof the combustible charge will impart to the piston or pistons a power stroke suflicient to start the engine on itsnormal operating cycle.

The combustible charge for starting the engine may be supplied to the cylinders by any of the known arrangements, for instance, by providing a container with compressed air in which air of a predetermined pressure is automatically maintained by an auxiliary motor-driven compressor,` and charging the'cylinders having a piston in a ring stroke position with an ignitible compressed combustible charge by' using the compressed air discharged into the cylinder for atomizing the proper proportion of gasoline or any other suitable fuel by any of the known carburator arrangements. Such selective admission of the combustion charge to the cylinders may be effected by longitudinally slidable tubular valves of the type shown in Reynolds Patent 899,618 or by rotary sleeve valves vof the type shown in BrownPatent 2,053,321 arranged to cut off the charging ducts from the combustion space of the cylinders before the charge is ignited, and thereby prevent entrance of carbon into the charging ducts. Alternatively, the combustible charge may be admitted to the cylinders by manually-actuated air and fuel injecting pumps which are connected through suitable ducts and rotary or longitudinally slidable valves to the combustion space of the cylinders. Any one of the prior art arrangements for charging the cylinders with the ignitible combustible starting charge may be used as long as the provision is made for admitting a charge to at least one cylinder in which the piston is stopped somewhere in a position on its power stroke before the charge delivered to the cylinder is ignited.

Although the principles of the invention are applicable to most of the available multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, its `exempliilcations will be described as applied to a typical six cylinder engine shown diagrammatically in Fig. l f

and having six cylinders CI to C6 with six pistons Pl to P6, rbeing connected as usual to a common crank shaft K.

, When such engine is stopped, each of the pistons may occupy any one of the positions which, for instance, piston Pl will occupy while the crank shaft K of the engine completes two revolutions, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Thus, considering piston Pl as it starts on its ring stroke from the top of its cylinder, as shown in Fig. 2a, it will, during a 60 revolution of t-he crank shaft, move down on its firing stroke tothe position Fig. 2b; then in the next 60 of thecrank shaft revolution, it will continue down on the firing stroke to the position Fig. 2c till in the nextfollowing 60 of the crank shaft revolution, it will reach the bottom of the firing stroke shown in Fig. 2d. In the further 60 .crank shaft revolution, it will move up on its exhaust stroke to :the position Fig. 2e, continuing during the next .60 crank shaft revolution on its exhaust stroke .to the position Fig, 2f till it reaches in the next 60 crank shaft revolution the top of its exhaust stroke corresponding to the position of cylinder -6 in Fig. 2a. While piston I has been thus moving .down on its ring stroke and up on its ,exhaust stroke, its companion piston P6 has been ,moving down .on a suction stroke and up on a compression stroke, and the piston PI, after having reached the top of its exhaust stroke, will inthe next full revolution of the crank shaft successively occupy the positions of piston P6 as it moves down .on its suction stroke and up on the compression .stroke in the way illustrated in Figs. 2a to 2f.

Inaccordance with the invention, such engine which is stopped with a piston somewhere in its downward firing stroke .is started by rst charging the .cylinders which have the intake and exhaust valves closed with an ignitible combustible charge, and -automatically controlling rthe ignition .by means of an auxiliary starting ignition apparatus which is so arranged as to vselectively complete an auxiliary ignition circuit .to the cylinder .or .cylinders in which the piston is on its downward ring stroke and selectively produce an ignition discharge .in the charged cylinder or cylinders in which the piston is stopped on its downward firing stroke.

The auxiliary starting apparatus is so arranged as yto prevent ignition of a combustible charge admitted to a cylinder in which a piston is Astopped somewhere on its compression stroke, unless the piston which is stopped vsomewhere on its downward firing stroke is suiciently near the end of its firing stroke that an ignition of a combustible charge admitted to its cylinder would not be sufficient to impart to the engine the power impulse required to start the engine; and to assure that if the piston that is stopped on its firing stroke is near the end of its stroke, an ignitible discharge is produced in the cylinder in which the piston is near the end of its compression stroke, so that the kickback imparted to the crank shaft backs up the piston that was near the end of its firing stroke to an initial position of its firing stroke, for enabling starting of the engine by a follow-up starting operation.

Although the starting ignition arrangement operating according to the principles of the invention may be made in many different forms, it will be explained as applied to the highly developed standard ignition equipments at present generally used on multi-cylinder four-cycle automobile engines, and in particular to av standard ignition equipment used on six-cylinder fourcycle engines asA illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 and structurally in Figs, 4 to 8.

The principal parts of the .ignition equipment are in the form known commercially as the Delco-Remy type. It comprises an ignition transformer 24 having a primary Winding connected through a switch to the positive terminal of a battery 25, the other terminal of which is grounded. The circuit of the primary transformer winding is completed by way of the resistor 26 and the interrupter contacts 28, 29, to the ground, a condenser 21 being connected parallel to contacts 28, 29. A pivotally mounted, grounded, interrupter contact arm 3U carries contact 28 and is biased by a spring 3| to keep the contacts 28, 2'9, closed so that by lactuating the arm 30 to break contacts 28, 29, the battery current through the Vprimary winding of the transformer 24 is broken, and a high Voltage is induced in the secondary winding of transformer 24.

The interrupter contacts 28, 29 with the interrupter contact arm 30 form part of a conventional ignition distributing unit, which, `as shown in Figs. 4 to 8, comprises a driving shaft 34 revolvably mounted in a casing having a supporting plate on which is mounted the interrupter contact arm 39 with its contacts 28, 29. An interrupter cam 31 keyed to the shaft 34 is engaged by a cam follower 38 .extending from the interrupter arm 30 so that as the interrupter cam 3l is rotated, the interrupter contacts 23, 29 are periodically opened.

A rotary ignition distributor arm 40, as shown in Fig. 4, of insulating material is likewise keyed to the shaft 34 and is rotated thereby as in conventional ignition distributors so that it makes one complete revolution each time the crank shaft of the engine makes two revolutions corresponding to a full four-stroke operating cycle of all the six cylinders of the engine,

On the distributor arm 40 is mounted a main distributor electrode 4 I, whichis at all times connected through a contact brush spring 42' to the inward end 43 of a high tension terminal member 44 mounted in the center of the insulating cap 45 which is detachably secured to the distributor casing 35. The central high tension terminal 44 of the distributor unit is connected to the high voltage end ofthe high voltage secondary ignition transformer winding 24, the other end of which is grounded.

On the insulating distributor cap 45 of the distributor casing 35, are also mounted six stationrary distributor electrode terminals SI to S6 peripherally arranged around the central high voltage terminal 44, each terminal having an inwardly projecting electrode tip 41. As in the case of the standard ignition equipment of automotive engines, the six distributor electrode terminals SI to S6 are connected to the spark plugs of the six engine cylinders and the main rotary distributor electrode 4|, is so adjusted relatively to the electrode tips 41 of the distributor terminal electrodes SI to S6, that when the distributor shaft 34 rotates, its rotating interrupter cam 31 actuates the interrupter arm 30 to open the primary circuit of theignition transformer 24 six times during each complete revolution of the distributor shaft 34, at the moments when the main rotary distributor electrode 4| forms successively spark gaps with the electrode tips 41 of the six stationary electrode distributor terminals SI to S6, for successively completing ignition circuits to the spark gaps of the six cylinders, and apply the high voltage ignition potential induced in the transformer 24 to the spark plugs of the six cylinders in their normal ring order.

The standard ignition equipment of an automotive six-cylinder four-cycle engine so described, is modified in accordance with the principles of the invention by combining with it an auxiliary ignition starting mechanism for sesupplied to the cylinders in which the intake and 4exhaust valves are closed and the piston is in a downward stroke position.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3 and structurally in Figs. 4 -to 8, the auxiliary starting ignition mechanism comprises an auxiliary rotary distributor member 5| of insulating material revolvably mounted on the cylindrical surface of the main rotary distributor member 40, and provided With a metallic plate member 52 having a radially projecting auxiliary distributor electrode 53 on which is adjustably mounted the electrode tip 54. Under normal operating conditions of the engine, the auxiliary distributor member 5| is held biased by a return spring 56 against a stop pin projection 51 of the main distributor 5|, so as to hold the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 aligned with the main distributor electrode 4| without in any way affecting the operarotated through one full revolution against the action of the biasing spring 56, from its normal full line position in Figs. 3 and 4 until its electrode 53 is brought to the dotted line position 54 as in Fig. 5. The circular portion of the metallic plate 52 of the distributor member 46 forms a slip ring, which is engaged by a contact brush spring 58 extending from the main distributor electrode 4| for establishing a positive connection between the auxiliary electrode 53 to the high potential terminal of the ignition transformer 24. The auxiliary distributor electrode 53 is so adjusted that when the auxiliary distributor member 5| with its electrode 53 are turned one revolution, the auxiliary electrode 53 forms with the electrode tips 41 of the stationary distributor terminals SI to S6 spark gaps through which high voltage ignition current is successively supplied by the ignition transformer 24 to the spark plugs of the six cylinders of the engine.

The auxiliary distributor member 5| is arranged to be selectively actuated during the starting operation by a mechanism the principles of which will be described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof. It comprises a driving gear member 6U, and an auxiliary interrupter cam disc 6|, extending from a sleeve 63 slidingly keyed on a shaft 64 which is journaled on brackets 65, 66, extending from the supporting plate 36 of the casing 35. The driving gear is arranged for coupling with the peripheral gear 5S of the auxiliary distributor member 5|, so that by turning the gear 60, the auxiliary distributor member` 5| with its distributor electrode 53 may be rotated from the normal full line position to the dotted line position 54 shown in Fig. 4, while the main distributor member 5| is stationary. Under normal conditions, the sleeve 63 with its driving gear 60 and interrupter cam 6|, are biased by a helical return spring 68 against the outer bracket 66, the spring 68 serving also to maintain the cam wheel in anormal radial position determined, for instance, by the engagement of a stop pin 69 extending from the shaft 64, with a stop lug 10 extending from the inner bracket 65.

The auxiliary interrupter cam wheel 6| has a peripheral cam surface arranged to cooperate with the projecting cam end 1| of the interrupter contact arm 3|), so that when the sleeve 63 is moved against the action of its biasing spring 68 to couple gear 60 with the auxiliary distributor gear 59, the peripheral portion of the cam wheel 6| comes into engagement with the cam end 1| of the contact arm 30 and actuates it to open, and to retain in the open position its main interrupter contacts 28, 29, irrespective of the position of the main interrupter caml 31. The contact arm 36 Vis provided with an additional contact 14 Which forms with a contact 15, adjustably mounted on a bracket 16 extending from the supporting plate 36, a set of auxiliary interrupter contacts for closing `and opening the primary circuit, and induce a high voltage ignition current in the secondary winding of the transformer While the main interrupter contacts 28, 29 remain open.

The auxiliary interrupter contacts 14, 15 are so adjusted that when the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| is rotated while its cam periphery is engaged by the cam end 1| of the interrupter arm 36, the teeth. of the segmental interrupter cam portions 18, 19, will actuate the contact arm 30 to successively reclose and open the auxiliary interrupter contacts 14, 15, and induce in the transformer 24 a sequence of high ignition voltages, which the rotating auxiliary distributor electrode 53 applies to the electrodes of the stationary distributor terminals SI to S6, which the auxiliary electrode 53 passes for applying an ignition Voltage only to the spark plugs of cylinders which are correlated to the segmental cam portions 18, 19 of the auxiliary interrupter cam 6|.

The auxiliary starting ignition mechanism is also shown provided with an operating mechanism comprising aratchet Wheel 86, mounted on the outwardly protruding end of the shaft 64, and a ratchet rack 8| held within a rack guide member 83, and pressed by a biasing spring 84 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 80. I'he rack guide 83 is shown arranged in the form of an elongated housing structure having slotted side walls through which the shaft 64 projects, so as to guide the rack 8| along the ratchet gear 80. lThe inner side wall 81 of the guide 83 serves as a cam arranged to cooperate with a cam knob 89 of the lsleeve 63, so -that on pulling the guide member 8| against the biasing action of spring 85, the initial movement of the cam wall 8"! actuates the cam knob 89 to push the Vsleeve 63 inwardly to the position in which the driving gear 60 and interrupter arm cam end 1| are coupled to the auxiliary distributor member and auxiliary interrupter cam 6|, respectively; and so that upon releasing the guide .member 83, the biasing action of spring 85 returns the guide member 83 to the normal position shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9.

As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, the lower portion of vthe ratchet rack 8| which moves along the ratchet gear, 88 before the lcam wall 81 of the guide 83 moves the sleeve 63 with its gear 60 and interrupter cam to their inward coupling position, is without ratchet teeth, vso that when the guide `8| `is returned to the normal position shown lin Figs. 3 and 6, the released uncoupled driving gear and interrupter cam 6|, are immediately returned by their biasing spring 68 to their normal radial position shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The main upper portion of the ratchet rack 8| is provided with ratchet teeth so arranged that in the upward motion of the r-ack 8| to the normal position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 7, it imparts to the ratchet gear la rotation so as to rotate the auxiliary distributing electrode 5'3 from the normal position past all six stationary distributor terminals SI to S6, While the interrupter contact arm 30 is actuated by the cam segments 18, '19, of the rotating auxiliary interrupter cam 6|, to produce a sequence of current interrupting operations which induce in the ignition transformer '24 high ignition voltages only while the auxiliary electrode moves past the selected stationary distributor terminals corresponding to the location of the toothed -cam segments "I8, 19, of the interf rupter cam 6|.

Suitable provisions are made in order to assure that when, on starting, the engine starts running on its normal cycles, the rotary motion of the driving shaft 34 of the distributor mechanism does not impart any excessive forces on the elements of the auxiliary starting ignition mechanism. To this end, suitable yieldable coupling connections may be embodied in the driving elements of the auxiliary starting mechanisms. For

instance, the driving wheel 60 and driven periphery 59 of the auxiliary distributor member 5|, may be provided with frictional coupling surfaces instead of gearing, or frictional driving connections .may be embodied at other driving connections -of the auxiliary starting mechanism, for instan-ce, between shaft 64 and the driving wheel 6|. v

-In this connection, it may be pointed out .that the driving gear 69 should be of the same diameter as the gear 59 of the auxiliary distributor member, so that one revolution of the driving gear 60 turns the auxiliary distributor 5| by one revolution.

The guide member 83 with the associated parts of the control mechanism is held in its operating position adjacent the distributor casing by its sliding engagement with the shaft 64, and is additionally supported by a bracket 9| secured to the distributor casing 35.

The ignition distributor mechanism may be mounted on the engine in the way a standard ignition distributor mechanism is usually mounted, for instance, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The operating rack member 83 may be actuated, for

instance, from the dashboard of the car by connecting thereto an actuating member in the form, for instance, of a exible control rod, such as a Bowden wire 92 of the type generally used in automotive vehicles for actuating from the dashboard operating parts mounted at a distance therefrom.

As shown in Fig. 8, the iiexible actuating rod 92 may be guided along the engine in a sleeve 93 clamped by brackets 94 to the exterior of the engine body. The biasing spring is shown clamped to the actuating rod 92 at 95 and abuts against a guide bracket 96 of the rod 92 so as to exert thereon a biasing action which returns the operating rack guide 83 with the rack 8| to the upper normal position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in which the driving gear 60 and the cam wheel 6| remain in their normal uncoupled positions to which they are biased by their springs 56, 68.

The operating rod 92 is suitably connected to an operating member such as a foot pedal or knob within reach of the driver, for transmitting through the control rod the control action to the control guide member 83 and operate the auxiliary starting ignition arrangement.

The ignition mechanism provided with the auxiliary starting ignition arrangement described above, makes it possible to selectively confine the starting ignition operations to cylinders in which the pistons are stopped somewhere in a position on their downward firing stroke.

Such ignition arrangement may be combined with any of the known arrangements for supplying a starting charge to the cylinders of an engine which has stopped, as described, for instance, in Patents 1,140,331, 1,185,874, 1,253,466, 1,253,669 and 2,053,321. As shown in Fig. 8, the engine has suitably mounted thereon a charging mechanism |6| for supplying a starting charge to the cylinders of an engine which has stopped. The charging mechanism is arranged to be actuated by the actuating rod 92 which is used to actuate the starting ignition mechanism. To this end, a control lever' |80 of the charging mechanism may be operatively connected to the actuating rod 92, so that when the actuating 'rod 92 is pulled outwardly to bring guide 83 of the auxiliary starting ignition mechanism to the downward position, the control lever |00 is actuated to cause the charging mechanism 0| to supply ignitible combustible charges to the cylinders which are used for starting the engine, and to assure that the cylinders which are charged are sealed off ready for ignition, before the starting ignition mechanism is actuated by the motion of the operating rack guide 83 as it is returned to its normal position by the biasing spring 85.

The correlation of the lelements of auxiliary interrupter cam 6| and the auxiliary distributor electrode, so as to selectively assure ignition of the ignitible combustible charges supplied to the closed cylinders in which the piston is stopped somewhere on its downward firing stroke or in its upward compression stroke, will now be explained.

' As previously explained in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3, while a pis-ton, such as piston PI, moves from its position Fig. 2a at which it starts on its firing stroke, to the position Fig. 2c during a crank shaft revolution, the main ydistributor electrode 4| will move from the -Iiring position opposite distributor electrode Sl leading to the spark of cylinder CI to the ring position opposite distributor electrode S5 leading to cylinder C5 for igniting the compressed combustible charge in the cylinder C5, which just moved past the dead end position on completing its compression stroke. The operation of each other piston will -be similarly correlated to the motion of the main' distributor electrode 4| along each arcuate path portion extending between the successive stationary distributor terminals Sl to S6.

In most multi-cylinder internal combustion four-.cycle engines, if the piston is on the last part or low power range of its firing stroke, corresponding approximately to about the last third thereof, the explosion of an ignitible combustible .charge in its cylinder will in many cases not be able to impart to the piston a suflicient power impulse for causing the engine to start. It is accordingly important to assure that the starting impulse is imparted to the piston while it is in a position on the main part or high power range of its downward firing stroke, corresponding to about the first two-thirds thereof.

The auxiliary starting ignition arrangement of the invention is so designed as to assure that when an engine is stopped with at least one of its pistons on the main high power range of its downward iiring stroke, an ignitible combustible charge admitted to the cylinder of such piston is ignited to impart to the piston the power impulse required for starting the engine; and to assure that in the event the engine is stopped with the piston somewhere on the low-power part of the firing stroke, the ignitible combustible charge supplied to the cylinder having a piston which is in the upper part of the compression stroke is ignited, so that the kickback impulse imparted to such piston causes the crank shaft to back up the piston that was in the last part of its firing stroke or the piston ahead of it to a position on the main high-power part of its firing stroke, so that by repeating the starting operation, the piston which is now on the first main high-power part of the firing stroke will receive by the ignition of the combustible charge admitted to its cylinder a power impulse Sunicient for starting the engine on its normal operating cycle.

Such selective starting ignition is secured by the ignition starting arrangement exemplifying the invention described above in connection with a six cylinder engine. As explained, the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 is biased so that irrespective of the position in which the engine is stopped, the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 is in a peripheral position determined by the position of the main distributor electrode 4|, and the position of the main distributor electrode 4| is definitely correlated to the positions of the several pistons.

Thus, assuming that the engine is stopped while one of its pistons is at the end of the initial fifth of its ring stroke, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 by the position of the main distributor electrode 4|, the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 will automatically be biased to the same angular position while the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| will be biased to its normal stationary position determined by the stop members 69, 1|), in which it is out of engagement with the cam follower 1| of the interrupter arm.

If now an ignitible combustible charge is supplied to the cylinders of the pistons which are on the iiring and the compression strokes and the auxiliary starting arrangement is actuated by pulling the actuating rack 83 to its downward position against the biasing action `of its spring 85, the return movement of the actuating mem- .auxiliary interrupter cam 6|.

ber 83 will cause the upwardly moving rack member 8| to impart a rotational movement to the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 and the As the auxiliary electrode 53 starts to move in the direction of arrow H0, the initial motion of the auxiliary interrupter cam 6I in the direction of arrow will bring into engagement the initial short toothed cam portion 18 with the cam follower 1| of the interrupter arm 30 so as to generate a short sequence of ignition voltages. The main distributor electrode 4| is shown provided with a tail portion 4|t which extends over an arc corresponding to about one-third of the arc between consecutive distributor electrodes SI to S6, so that the ignitionvoltage induced by the action of the initial cam teeth 18 of the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| will produce an ignition voltage which will be applied through the tail portion 4|t of the main distributor electrode 4| to the spark plug of the cylinder CI while its piston is still on the main high power part of the ring stroke, and the resulting explosion'of the combustible charge will impart to the piston a power impulse sui'iicient to start the engine.

Assuming now that the engine is stopped at a moment when its main distributor arm 4| is about 30 away from the stationary distributor electrode SI, so that the tail portion 4It of the main distributor electrode does not any more complete an ignition circuit to the spark plug of the cylinder Cl, the initial sequence of ignition voltages produced by the rotational movevment of the initial interrupter cam tooth portion 18 of the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| will not ignite the combustible charge admitted to cylinder SI. However, in the course 0f the further rotational movement of the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 in the direction of the arrow |||l and the auxiliary interrupter arm 6I in the direction of the arrow the auxiliary distributor arm 53 will come opposite the electrode ofthe distributor terminal SI leading to the spark plug of the cylinder CI and complete an ignition circuit to its spark plug, while the teeth of the long main interrupter cam portion 19 of the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| actuate the cam follower 1| of the interrupter arm 30 to produce a sequencel of ignition voltages', so that an ignition voltage is applied to the spark plug of the .cylinder CI to ignite its combustible charge and impart to its piston Pl which is still in the main high power part of its ring stroke a power impulse suflicient to start the engine.

The starting ignition operation just described will also be effective in igniting the starting charge admitted to cylinder CI if its piston Pl is stopped on its firing stroke somewhere in a posivtion corresponding to the position of the main distributor .electrode 45 somewhere in the initial fifth of its ring stroke, in case the main distributor electrode is made without its tail portion 4|t, which is provided in order to positively assure ignition of the starting charge admitted to a cylinder in which the piston is stopped on the initial part of its firing stroke.

The front portion 18 of the toothed interrupter cam portion is made suciently far from its end 11, so that if the engine is stopped while the distributor arm occupies a position about 50 or more away from the electrode of the distributor terminal SI corresponding to the position of the piston Pl near the end of the main part of its firing stroke at which a power impulse produced by the combustible charge ignited in its cylinder might be insuicient to start the engine, theoperation of the auxiliary starting ignition arrangement will bring about an explosion of the combustible charge in the cylinder C of the piston P5 which is near the end of its compression stroke, because the front'portion 18 of the auxiliary interrupter cam 5| will come into engagement with the cam follower of the interrupter arm 30 at the moment when the rotating auxiliary distributor electrode 53 passes opposite the stationary distributor electrode S5, thus completing an ignition path to the spark plug of cylinder C5 While the interrupter arm 30 is actuated to produce a sequence of ignition voltages. The resulting backring impulse imparted to the piston P5 will actuate the cam shaft to back up the piston PI to the main high power part of its ring stroke, so that by actuating the auxiliary starting arrangement including the auxiliary distributor arm 53 and the auxiliary interrupter cam 5| to inject into the closed cylinders a combustible charge and to repeat the starting ignition operation, the combustible charge in cylinder CI will be ignited so as to impart to its piston Pl which is now in the main part of its firing stroke a power impulse sufcient to start the engine on its normal operating cycle.

Although in the foregoing the operation of the starting arrangement exemplifying the invention was Idescribed on the assumption that piston PI Aof the engine was stopped somewhere in its firing stroke, it is obvious that the same operating conditions will govern the starting of the engine if any one of its other pistons is stopped on its ring stroke in a way described in connection with piston Pi, since the initial positions occupied by the auxiliary starting electrode 53 and the auxiliary interrupter cam 6| will be the same for each of the pistons of the engine.

To start the engine with the starting arrangement described above, the user has merely to pull the operating rod 92 against the force of its biasing spring 85, thereby actuating the control lever |50 of the auxiliary charging mechanism |0| to supply an ignitible combustible charge to the closed cylinders of those in which the pistons are somewhere on the ring and compression strokes, while pulling the actuating rack 83 to the downward position and to release it, so that the return movement of the operating rack 83 will actuate .the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 and the auxiliary interrupter cam 6|, to selectively apply ignition voltages to the cylinders in which the piston is on its firing stroke in the way described above.

In accordance with the principales of the invention, the so generated continuous sequence of starting ignition voltages are selectively applied to the cylinders in which the piston is stopped somewhere on the main part of the firing stroke, or in which the piston is stopped in the upper part of the compression stroke in the way described in connection with Fig. 3, by modifying the construction of the auxiliary distributor member 5| in the way shown in Fig. 9. As shown in this figure, the modied auxiliary distributor member 5|A is arranged to be rotatably mounted on the main distributor member 40 below the main distributor electrode, and has instead of a cir-cular metallic contact .plate member 52 a segmental slip ring plate H4 provided with two segmental contact portions '|I5, |16, arranged to be engaged by the dow-nwardly projecting Contact spring 58 extending from the main distributor electrode, so as to provide a connection between Y Ythe main distributor electrode 4| to the slip ring M only when the contact spring 58 passes over and engages the segment portions ||5, I6, when the auxiliary electrode member 5|A is rotated during the starting operation relatively to the main distributor member 40.

As shown in Fig. 9, the auxiliary distributor electrode 53A may be provided on an extension of one of the short slip ring segment ||5, and the contact 4portion 58C of the contact spring 58 is arranged to normally rest on the insulating segment separating the slip ring segments ||5, IIB, so as to assure that under normal operating conditions, the auxiliary distributor electrode 53A is not effective. The arcuate length of the slip ring segments H5, H6, is proportioned and arranged in a way analogous to the toothed cam sections i8, 19, of the auxiliary interrupter cam 0| so as to selectively complete the ignition circuit to the auxiliary electrode 53A only at the time when the ignition voltage is selectively generated and applied to the spark plugs in the arrangement illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3.

The starting ignition arrangement may also be modiiled so as to assure that the ignition circuit is broken while the auxiliary distributor electrode 53 is returned by its biasing spring 55A from its end position to the normal position against its sto-p 5l in which it is shown in Fig. 3. To this end, the con-tact spring 58 through which the auxiliary electrode 53 is connected to the high voltage ignition circuit by way of the main distributor electrode 4|, may be modied so as to automatically break the connection to the auxiliary electrode when the auxiliary electrode 53 is returned by the biasing spring 56. In the form shown in Figs. 10 and 11, an auxiliary contact spring 58B extending from the main electrode, has at its free end pivotally mounted a contact roller |20 of insulating material in which is embedded a conducting segment |2|, which is conductively connected to the contact spring 58B. A stop pin |22 extending from the roller body |20, limits the revolving movement of the roller |20 to the arc defined by the stop lugs |23, |24, extending from the downward end of the contact spring 58 so that when the auxiliary electrode 53 is rotated against the action of its biasing spring 56 by the driving gear 6|, while the main distributor larm 4| is stationary, the rol-ler |20 is held through the engagement of stops |23, |24-, with the stop pin |22 in the position shown in Fig. 1'0, so as to establish a conducting circuit connection from the main distributor electrode 4| `to the contact plate 52 of the auxiliary distri-buter electrode 53, and to cause the return motion of the auxiliary electrode 53 to actuate the roller |20 to revolve until its stoppin |22 cornes into engagement with the stop lug |24 in the way shown in Fig. 1l, so as to break the circuit connection with the main distributor electrode -4| and the auxiliary distributor electrode 53, during the return motion of the auxiliary distributor electrode 53.

Infdesigning the modified starting ignition arrangements of the type shown in Figs. 9 to 1l, provision must be made that the gap distance between the points at which the ignition circuit is selectively opened and closed, is large enough to prevent the ignition voltage from breaking down the gap during the starting as well as the normal operation, while the ignition circuitv is selectively held open.

Although the principles of the invention have been 'explained above in connection with an exempliiication thereof as applied to a six-cylinder four-cycle engine, its application to other types of multi-cylinder internal-combustion engines having four or more cylinders will be obvious to those skilled in the art. In particular, the principles of the invention lend themselves for application to internal-combustion engines of the four-cycle type as well as the two-cycle type.

Many other modifications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is'accordingly desiredk that the appended claims be given a broad construction commensurate with the scope of the invention within the art.

I claim:

1. The method "of starting a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine having at least four l cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by the engine, which comprises the steps of supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders of the engine, and selectively applying an ignition voltage to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on a ring stroke if the piston is on the high power part of the firing stroke, or to selectively apply an ignition voltage to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving a piston which is on the lower part of the firing stroke back to a position in the high power part of its iiring stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively applied to an ignitible charge in the cylinder in which the piston was moved back to the high power part of its ring stroke.

2. In a multi-cylinder four-cycle internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means l'or starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means movable to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their firing order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the ring stroke.

3. In a multi-cylinder four-cycle internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible c-ombustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means normally biased to a position corresponding to the momentary position of said main` distributor means and movable 'during starting to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their firing order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the ring stroke.

4. In a multi-cylinder four-cycle internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means movable to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their firing order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, lsaid auxiliary distributor means A and said ignition controlmeans being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an `ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the ring stroke, if the piston is on the high power part of the iiring stroke, and to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving back a piston that is on the low power part of its ring stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively applied to a charge in a cylinder.

5. In a multi-cylinder four-cycle internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means normally biased to a position corresponding to the momentary position of said main distributor means and movable during starting to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their ring order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the ring stroke if the piston is on the high power part of the firing stroke, and to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving back a piston that is on the low power part of its ring stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively applied to a charge in a cylinder.

6. The method of starting, a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by the engine, which comprises the steps of supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders of the engine and selectively applying an ignition voltage to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on a ring stroke if the piston isr on the high power part of the firing stroke, or to selectively apply an ignition voltage to an ignitible charge in a' cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving a piston which is on the lower part of the nring stroke back to a position in the high power part of its iiring stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively appliedY to an ignitible charge in the cylinder in which the piston was moved back to the high power part of its ring stroke.

'7. In a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engineA having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible cornbustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means movable to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their firing order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a v piston in the high power part of the ringistroke.

8. In a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuab-le during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means movable to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their ring order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means'and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the rng stroke, if the piston is on the high power part of the ring stroke, and to selectiveiy apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving back a piston that is on the low power part of its ring stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively applied to a charge in a cylinder.

9. In a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine having at least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means normally biased to a position corresponding to the momentary position of said main distributor means and movable during starting to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their ring order, and ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the firing stroke if the piston is on the high power part of the ring stroke, and to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston on the compression stroke for moving back a piston that is on the low power part of its firing stroke so that in a subsequent starting operation an ignition voltage is selectively applied to a charge in a cylinder.

10. In a multi-cylinder internal-combustion engine having at. least four cylinders and igniting means, including main ignition control means and main ignition distributor means driven by said engine for cyclically impressing ignition voltages on ignitible combustible charges in said cylinders, so as to cyclically explode said charges and impart a continuous succession of power strokes to the pistons of said cylinders, and means for supplying ignitible combustible starting charges to the closed cylinders during a `starting operation, means for starting the engine comprising auxiliary ignition means actuable during the starting operation comprising an auxiliary ignition distributor means movable to successively establish ignition circuits to the cylinders in their iiring order, and auxiliary ignition control means operative during the motion of said auxiliary distributor means to render said main ignition control means inoperative and to impress ignition voltages on said ignition circuits in correlation to the motion of said auxiliary distributor means, said auxiliary distributor means and said ignition control means being correlated to said main ignition distributor means and so arranged and designed as to selectively apply ignition voltages to an ignitible charge in a cylinder having a piston in the high power part of the firing stroke.

JAMES A. PATTERSON. 

